Come Stay The Night
by OnnaMurcielago666
Summary: "I need to hide." Felicità confessed, "I don't want to be found." She swallowed and glanced up at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Debito, say you never saw me." She tugged again more firmly and bit her lip: "Please, help me hide." She barely blinked before Debito had her tucked under his arm: "Anything for you, Bambina." She looked down in shock and watched their legs disappear.
1. Numero 0, Il Matto

**Chapter One**

"Oh…" Felicità felt her face burn as she stomped through some brush, her heels more hindering her than helping, and she regretted being harsh enough with Fukulota to chase her away. It was dark and cold –not that it bothered her- and she could hardly navigate through all the dense brush by herself. It on her dark work clothes and snagged her long hair with branches and the odd bramble clinging to one of Regalo's beautiful trees.

Felicità was tired, and hungry, and she didn't feel worth very much of anything anymore.

"_Milady!" Luka whispered harshly, looking around the corridor anxiously. "What are you doing up and dressed at this hour? Is something wrong?" Felicità looked down at her hands, feeling silly for letting Jolly's cryptic words shake her confidence, and felt a heat rise in her cheeks._

"_Luka…" She whispered, swallowing around the lump rising in her throat. "may I stay here tonight? W-With you? I don't-" Luka interrupted her:_

"_Milady," He said seriously, "as your valet, I am to look after you, but here I draw the line on what is appropriate. Please return to your own room."_

"_But Jolly's story…" And then, to add insult to injury, her faithful servant closed his door on her. Felicità looked down at her toes, checked for any sign of another person, and crept back to her chambers. She resolved to leave the main house and go sleep in her old house tonight; perhaps there she could get away from Jolly's moaning spectre. She quickly pulled on her boots, stocking her knives back into their belt, and used her wide window as a convenient escape from the haunting quality of the house._

Suddenly, Felicità could see a light behind her and she cursed herself for being so slow and clumsy in the woods. She hadn't thought that leaving would be easy, but she hadn't even considered that there might be alarms that would key the security that people had left or entered the mansion. She could hear a low rumble in the distance –was Dante awake?- and she flinched when her name carried on the wind frantically.

Felicità kicked off her boots, grabbing one in each hand, and she picked up her pace with an occasional wince when she put her foot on something harsh. She refused to go back to the mansion house tonight –refused to be humiliated by facing her servant in the light- and rejoiced when she stumbled out the trees near the town.

'_Perfect!_' She thought gratefully, pulling on her boots again as she surveyed her surroundings and set off toward the busiest part of town. She could get lost in the crowds, maybe find a dark place to sit and lick her wounded pride, and she knew she would need to fix her appearance from tramping through the woods. Ducking into an alley, she paused within the shadow of the buildings and did just that, failing to correct her pigtails and eventually letting her hair hang loose.

"Princess?!" Felicità jumped when Libertà's voice rang out in the cheery city street and disrupted the nightlife bustling about. She ducked down, barely making it out of sight before the blond teen ran by with a silent Nova at his side. Her cousin glanced into the alley, his eyes clashing with hers in a way that made Felicità flinch, but he didn't see her and kept moving.

She went in the other direction, trying to keep to the shadows and maintain her speed. Where could she hide?! Everyone in the family would be looking for- Suddenly, Felicità collided with something she couldn't see.

"Ciao, Bambina," Drawled a familiar voice, "isn't it a bit late for a stroll?" Felicità shook herself lightly, watching as Debito's invisibility melted away and revealed the Hermit Tarocco's smug smirk; she was suddenly conscious of the supporting arm around her back.

"No," She claimed quickly, moving back into her own personal bubble and away from the arm. She didn't want to be cuddled and coddled anymore, not now that Jolly's story had caused her so much grief by giving her that very desire, and she knew Debito would just pet her like a child. "it's a perfectly fine time. I like walking alone at night."

"With your hair down?" Prodded Debito, managing to snag a strand and press it to his lips. "Although I must say the look suits you," Felicità felt her face heat lightly as the gold-eyed man sent her a smouldering look and released the red lock of hair, "everyone is looking for you, Bambina. Luka is-"

"I don't care about Luka!" Felicità snapped suddenly, stiffening and fisting her hands at her sides. "He's the reason I'm-" She checked herself suddenly when she saw Debito's silver eyebrows rise in surprise and looked away, ashamed to have lost control of herself in front of the Coins head. She heard someone call for her again and checked over her shoulder anxiously; she was stuck between a Coin and a search party!

"So, Luka's the reason Bambina is out so late…" Debito murmured, drawing close and placing a hand on her arm, "what did that stuffed shirt do now?" She looked up at him, unnerved by how quickly her emotions were besting her, and swallowed as she tried to go around him. "Hey, hey, hey- I hate to see a singorina cry." She felt the grip on her arm halt her and she tugged once at his grip to test it; she was stuck unless she fought him. "What's your hurry?"

"I need to hide." Felicità told him sternly, not facing him directly, "I don't want to be found." She swallowed around a lump rising in her throat again and glanced at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Debito, say you never saw me." She tugged again, more firmly this time, and bit her lip: "Please, help me hide."


	2. Numero 1, Il Baggato

**Chapter Two**

She barely blinked before Debito had her tucked under his arm: "Anything for you, Bambina." He murmured above her, and she yelped wordlessly when she looked down and saw their legs fading away into nothing. "One hiding place, coming up," Soon, they were invisible, and she watched Pace and Luka run past them obliviously with anxious expressions. She froze statue-still against Debito's arm, hardly breathing until they passed out of the alley again, and then she looked up at Debito's smug grin in shock.

"Are you going to turn me in?" She asked quietly, preparing to run if the invisible man said 'yes'.

"No, Bambina," Chuckled Debito casually as he started them walking in the direction Pace and Luka had come. "not you. You need a hiding place and what else am I good at **but** hiding? I'm going to hide you away like buried treasure" –Debito tapped her nose with his free hand and smirked as she scrunched up her pale face.- "and then Bambina will be my little secret."

"Where are you taking me?" Felicità asked, rubbing her nose lightly to rid herself of the tingling feeling. "The Casino?"

"Tempting," Nodded the man, "but everyone will look there," He steered her away from a crowd, eyes on the bald head in the distance, and he scowled when a black mop of hair joined it. "and I doubt Bambina wants all that smoke and noise. You must be exhausted," Felicità shrugged, resisting a sudden yawn, and she let Debito pull her onto a quieter street with a simple chuckle. "so you can spend the night with me, Bambina, and I'll play doorman to these idiots."

Felicità paused, looking up at Debito through her yawn, and he glanced down at her. They stood there for a moment, silent as statues, until she broke the stare when she yawned again and rubbed her eyes.

"Come on, Bambina, let's get you to bed." Debito said softly, letting go of their invisible disguise as they reached his door and entered the dark house in a more comfortable silence. He let her linger in the hall for a moment while he took off his shoes and jacket habitually, but looked back to her when she stayed by the closed door. "Bambina?"

He watched Felicità blink, the bright attention returning to her eyes, and smirked as she seemed to wake herself from a daze. She quietly took off her own boots, her stockings showing dirt and wear from her trek through the woods earlier, and Debito felt his smirk disappear. She would need water for washing, and perhaps a bandage or two, but those could wait until she was more comfortable.

"I'm sorry," She murmured, approaching him again with a small shiver. "I don't know what-"

"It's alright," Debito assured her, patting her hair gently, "you're tired. Make yourself at home and I'll get something for your feet. You know where my bedroom is… feel free to lie down." She protested slightly at taking his bed, but Debito waved it away with another smirk and strolled down the hall to his bathroom for the supplies she'd need.

Felicità watched him until he was out of sight and sighed, looking around the unlit house uninterestedly until she gave in to temptation and did as he'd suggested- she padded down the hallway, passing the bathroom without a glance, and she cautiously pushed into Debito's bedroom.

All was as she remembered it. Purple bedding and walls, emerald curtains, rich woods- everything was the height of opulence and pleasure, from the soft lights to the fully-stocked wine rack and the large, inviting bed. She felt that if she were to close her eyes she could sink into the room like water and be able to relax; it was so soothing, and she lost the hesitation she'd had for curling up to sleep.

She sighed as she pulled off her glove and knife belt, trying to hold back another yawn, and discarded her dirty socks without care as she crawled into the centre of the bed and sank into the covers. She felt her body relax, silently thanking Debito for letting her hide with him, and as she began to drift off she heard the door open with a pair of measured footsteps.

"Hm?" She murmured softly, barely able to keep her eyes open, and Debito appeared at the side of the bed with a small towel and a few bandages. "Ah…"

"Let me see your feet." Debito told her soothingly, sounding like he had at the piccolino with the frightened children. "Walking without shoes is dirty work," His smirk was shadowed in the dim bedroom light and it took Felicità a moment to process his request before she stretched out her legs and drifted off to sleep without concern for the warm damp cloth or Debito's strong hands. "Sleep well, Bambina,"

_**~ La storia della Arcana Famiglia~**_

Luka looked up as Fukulota circled above, calling Pace back to his side and signalling the others. The chestnut-coloured bird of prey came spiralling down gracefully, hooting, and landed on the arm he outstretched for her until the others gathered around. Luka counted them – Libertà, Nova, Pace, Dante- and frowned when Debito did not join them.

"Where is Debito?" He asked hurriedly, trying to ignore the way the owl was nipping at his sleeve.

Pace shrugged: "Maybe he went home?"

"How can he sleep when the princess is missing?!" Libertà snapped, grinding his teeth, "What's his problem?" Suddenly, Fukulota gave a piercing 'hoot!' and she took to the sky, soaring in one dirtection and back to Luka in a straight, unwavering line; Pace's eyes widened.

"Is it just me, Luka, or does Debito…?"

Everyone gasped, most very angrily: "DEBITO!"


	3. Numero 2, La Sacerdotessa

**Chapter Three**

Debito was enjoying his night so far; he got some alone time with Felicità, who's staying overnight, and she's upset with Luka- what a lucky break! As he lay reclined on one side of the bed, his attention seesawed between a short book and the sleeping girl to his left. She had nodded off while he was cleaning off her delicate little fairy feet and he hadn't managed to stir her, even when he settled down a decent distance from her.

Her breathing was soft and rhythmic, barely stirring a lock of red hair that had fallen across her heart-shaped face and caught on her plump lower lip. The rest of her hair was fanned about her, released from the black ribbons nearly two hours ago by the girl who usually wore them, and it splayed across the back of her dark suit uniform. She had discarded her gloves and stockings while he was gone, unfastening the belt of deadly knives, and left herself in just the usual suit worn by any female in the Famiglia. She looked so small and fragile now, sleeping the stars away in his bed, totally unguarded.

Debito heard someone making a terrible racket at his front door and growled with annoyance when his Bambina stirred faintly, snuffling in her sleep. He vowed to shoot the ruffian massacring his door in the knee caps and elbows for disturbing her even slightly and got up, not bothering with the discarded eye patch at this hour.

"Oi," He snarled, unlocking the chain, "what's all the-"

"Debito!" Luka shouted angrily, obviously beating his fists upon the door from the outside. "You predator! Where is Milady! Unhand her this instant!" Debito took a moment to breathe deeply, sighing at Luka's insistence, and resisted the temptation to pull out his pistols. Luka was an old friend, so the insult meant-

"You letch!" Libertà screeched suddenly, "Unhand the princess!"

Debito threw open his front door, glowering, with his pistols drawn. "You little **punk**!" He growled, waving one gun at the blond threateningly, "I ought to-"

"Debito," Pace chuckled tensely, "he's just worried about the princess. Well, and mad you're not out searching with-"

"I found her." Debito interrupted casually, leaning on the door frame and holstering one gun. "Why waste time searching for someone that isn't lost?" Debito watched Pace's shoulders straighten, as if he had shocked the strong Club leader with his simple answer, but Pace's caramel eyes were nothing but relieved.

"You found her?!" Libertà gasped, gripping the handle of his cutlass tensely. "Where is she?!" His eagerness brought him forward, but his rivalry with Nova made it hard to get **too** close without bumping shoulders and growling. "Is she alright?!"

"She was tired," Debito told the blond boy laxly, "so she's sleeping now." Debito knew that Libertà had been pining for the young girl in his bedroom, and that Nova was considering proposing, and smirked at their assumption wordlessly. They didn't know how their princess had unarmed herself willingly for him and drifted off so vulnerably with him right beside her.

Oh, but if they knew…

"Excellent," Luka said, his tone reflecting his trust in Debito –or lack thereof. "I shall collect her then, and take her back to the mansion before- Debito?" Luka looked up from the arm blocking his way to the solitary eye that was peeking from behind Debito's steel-grey curtain of hair. "Why are you-"

"Like I said, Luka, Bambina is sleeping," Debito drawled, using his body and his height to tower over the attendant a little and steer him back over his threshold and into the street. The other men stiffened aggressively as Debito refused Luka entry and blocked the door, his hands toying with his pistols softly. "and I doubt she wants you here. Not after what you did."

"What do you mean, Debito?" Nova demanded seriously,

"Luka," Libertà frowned, turning his accusing teal eyes to the attendant. "what's he talking about?"

"I don't kn…" Luka's voice trailed off and Debito watched the violet pair of eyes catch the fires of understanding within them. "oh." He looked past Debito pitifully, into the house beyond, and he suddenly pushed forward and tried to force his way past Debito. "Move, Debito! I have to-"

"You will apologize," Debito nodded, catching the servant by his collar harshly and looking down at him like something the cat had dragged in. "but Bambina will send for you when she's ready." Debito tossed Luka back into Pace's arms, unsurprised when Pace fumbled their friend –Debito shot Pace a grateful glance masked by a smirk- in shock at the declarations made against him. "Now get lost. Tell Papa that Bambina is just a little upset, so she's staying here with me."

"St-St-'Staying'?!" Luka stammered, his eyes wide in horror. "With **you**?"

"Sì," Debito nodded confidently, "now **get lost**." The Hermit Tarocco slammed his door emphatically to end the conversation, but Pace's foot stopped the process and Debito growled as his old friend invaded his home uninvited. "Pace…"

"At least let one of us talk to the princess," Pace said entreatingly, opening his arms, "and get a note out to Papa. He's worried too, and I doubt he'll believe a word from us without proof." And Debito growled under his breath, scratching his own head to stall before he nodded grouchily and told Pace to bring the kids and close the door. "And Luka?"

"Leave the dog outside." Debito muttered, ascending back upstairs to wake the sleeping princess. "And take off your shoes!" He could hear Libertà muttering about the discarded boots and stockings by the door, apologizing to Luka faintly, and sighed as the trio followed him upstairs to his bedroom door. He turned on his heel, facing Nova, Libertà, and Pace gravely, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Stay here while I wake her, and I'll call you in."


	4. Numero 3, L'Imperatrice

**Chapter Four**

"Why should we wait-" "Luka didn't… **hurt** her, did he?" Nova asked slowly, interrupting Libertà. "She's not injured?"

Debito paused: "_'I don't care about Luka'_, she told me," He informed the other men softly, "_'I need to hide. I don't want to be found. Please,'_ She was begging, gentlemen. _'say you never saw me. Please,'_" Debito eyed the mortified expressions and sighed. "_'help me hide.'_ I didn't see any injuries, Nova, but Bambina doesn't talk like that, does she?" Debito looked directly at Nova and Libertà, the ones she was with the most, and waited for them to shake their heads mutely. "He hurt her, but not with his hands."

Stepping inside his bedroom, he allowed them the sight of the girl curled up on the bed before he mimed for a moment to wake her and closed the door again quietly. While his back was still turned, he heard the sheets rustle and froze, glancing back at the dazed emerald stare in surprise. She blinked lazily, yawning and mumbling as she rubbed one eye and sat up:

"Debito?" She looked at him again, blinking away the yawn-induced tears, and cocked her head to one side. "Is it Luka?"

"No, Bambina," Debito assured her, approaching the bed again and sitting down at her feet. "Pace and those boys of yours are here; they want to see you." He watched her expression carefully, absorbing her soft face and faraway stare calmly until she looked back at him and sighed, bowing her head until her forehead touched his shoulder. "Bambina?"

"Why?" She mumbled quietly, pulling back and gathering half her hair into a pigtail with her slender little hands. She glanced around for her ribbons, trying to regain her composure and her usual appearance before she had to fend off their questions, and Debito caught her free wrist lightly. "What do they want with me now? It's late and-"

"I'll send them away…" Debito murmured, leaving the 'if you want me to' unspoken but with his stare. He could feel the stress starting to pile on her already, having only woken a few minutes ago, and he winced at the idea of forcing her into this now.

"No," He let her pull away, strapping on her knife belt, and watched her pull on her white glove. "I can't hide forever." She pulled the glove tight to her hand, nodded once to herself, and swallowed: "Let them in."

Debito locked his eye with hers, trying to test her, but she didn't back down. "Anything for you, Bambina," He said again quietly, smirking, "anything for you." And then he returned and threw open the door. "You coming or what?"

_**~ La storia della Arcana Famiglia~**_

Outside, Luka couldn't help but worry his hands together and fret over the state of Felicità. When she had come to him earlier that night, he hadn't thought that he would cause her so much pain! He had been right; it was not ladylike to come to a man's chambers –her attendant's chambers, at that!- and beg the favour of sleeping in the same room. How could she be so… so… loose?

Luka looked back up at the house-front, biting his lip, and he shook his head. God knows what Debito had done to her! He sighed desolately, plopping himself down on the front steps, and cradled his head in his hands.

He needed a plan.

He needed… Luka stood suddenly and made for the mansion.

_**~ La storia della Arcana Famiglia~**_

"Princess, are you sure?" Libertà pressed anxiously, squeezing one of Felicità's small hands in his own. "Here? I have space in my room! You can stay with me!"

"Idiot!" Nova muttered, "Don't suggest something like that."

"Libertà," Felicità murmured quietly, "I can't go back to the mansion. I need to think, and it's just too much to have Luka around every turn. Here, I can think. I can decide for myself."

"I know that the rooms in my wing are quite isolated." Nova piped up seriously, "It would be no trouble for us to commandeer one next to mine. I will keep Luka away for you," Beside her, Libertà snorted at Nova's suggestion and muttered something that ended in 'chickpea'.

"Do not call me a chickpea." Nova grunted, scowling suddenly, and Debito perked up from his false interest in the pages of his book when it made Felicità laugh lightly. Nova and Libertà looked up, taking in her radiantly happy face, and sat back as she calmed down and shook her head. "Fel?"

"Thank you, Nova," She said sweetly, "but you're busy as it is. It's alright."

"But, princess-" "Fel, you-" Pace cut the boys off, catching them by their shoulders and steering them toward the bedroom door again. They looked up at the man in unison: "Pace!"

"Now, now," He chuckled easily as he maneuvered them away from the girl. He had been watching too, doing more listening than ever, and seen the way her body was taking this interrogation; she was exhausted, physically and now mentally, and didn't need her eager suitors hassling her about her choices. "Let the princess decide for herself. She's a strong, independent princess, and she deserves your respect for her choices."

"Pace," Debito watched Felicità raise a hand toward the strong Tarocco slightly, thinking better of it, and saw Pace flash her his most brilliant smile.

"She knows what's best for her," He declared, "and that's what **we** want, right?"

Under his eye, Nova and Libertà agreed reluctantly, smoothing their proverbial ruffled feathers and their skewed clothes. Pace looked back to Felicità, still smiling, and she nodded affirmatively with a small tired smile of her own; Pace gave Debito a thumbs-up for good luck and departed with a cheery 'sleep well, princess!', dragging Nova and Libertà with him.


	5. Numero 4, L'Imperatore

**Chapter Five**

When the bedroom door closed, Debito did not follow the other men out of his house. He rolled slightly to look at the young woman who had stayed behind and was surprised to find her staring at him as well.

"Something wrong, Bambina?" He asked coolly, slowly putting a maker in the page he had been skimming and setting the book aside. She didn't reply, her green eyes gently following his movements as he sat up, smoothed his wrinkling clothes, and approached her; when he touched her arm, she started. "Such an old look for a young girl," He teased lightly, "and you still have the world ahead of you. What are you thinking, Bambina?"

Felicità shook her head, dismissing his question, but Debito persisted.

"Now, now, Bambina," He said a little more seriously, "I'm asking you a question. What is it that's bothering you now that they've gone? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"I don't know." She admitted, "I hadn't really… **planned **this far." She looked a little embarrassed to have to admit she wsas clueless and Debito smirked at the cute expression she'd given him. "Debito, may I-"

"Bambina," Debito put a finger to her lips. "before you ask, stay as long as you like. You're more than welcome here," He pressed a little closer, removing his finger from between them, and smirked deeply. "especially for a little siesta." As before, Felicità's face heated a dusky pink and she leaned away, covering her mouth to hide a small yawn that slipped out.

"I'm so- ah!" Debito slyly rolled, taking her out of her sitting position and back down onto the sheets where it was more comfortable. "D-Debito!"

"Go back to sleep, Bambina." He told her, releasing her wrist and getting cozy where he'd rolled to. "Save all that heavy thinking for the morning, eh? At least until breakfast,"

**~ La storia della Arcana Famiglia~**

Felicità did save it for morning, and then the next morning, and then for a few mornings after, and before she knew it she had spent a week in the house of the Coins leader and had gotten nothing done on the matter. She didn't know when she was going back to the mansion; Nova and Libertà had brought her a bag of clothes –packed by her servants- after the second night, and she had turned away Luca's request to see her many times.

Was it selfish not to want to see him? To hog all of Debito's free time?

Only yesterday, Felicità had gotten out of bed with her hair in such a state that he had helped her smooth out all the tangles before he reported to the Isis, and then he had come back at lunch to help her around the kitchen. They had learned painfully on her fourth day that his kitchen was much different than what she was used to, and that lunches either needed to be pre-made or not need preparation.

However, for how bad she felt, she enjoyed it.

Debito was much different within the walls of his own home; he'd chided her, they'd laughed together, napped together, and she had learned just how hard it was to manage all her hair. If she ever went back, she would have to reward those girls for their hard work. Debito had taught her so many little, seemingly-insignificant things, like when the vendors' produce were ripe and how to bluff in cards, but they all seemed so very important in their newness.

"Ah, that pretty face of yours looks even better over a hand of cards, Bambina," Debito purred, laying down his hand. "But I do believe I have you now."

"Do you?" Felicità laid down her hand matter-of-factly, revealing her smile from behind the playing cards, and spread the winning hand across the table triumphantly. "Royal flush." He raised his eyebrows in shock, looking up as her lips parted and transformed her smirk into a toothy grin, and suddenly began to laugh. At the short reception desk, Debito had quickly engaged the young woman in a few hands of cards while they took a brief lunch and was pleasantly surprised when she managed to beat him.

"Bambina," He chuckled, "I taught you well. Too well," With a sneaky hand, he collected the cards and caressed the young woman's smooth hand as he did so, catching her green eyes with a smile. "but that's to be expected of Papa's daughter."

"No," Suddenly Dante's deep voice interrupted their camaraderie and made them both look up; he stood a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest, and Luca stood at his side. "Papa's daughter would be taking care of her duties as the Head of Sword and sleeping in the mansion. Not to mention, she would have the sense not to be shaken by Jolly's humor, however dark or bold."

"Dante!" Felicita gasped, jumping under Debito's hand and locking her eyes on the tall man, much to Debito's distaste. "Wh-What are you-"

"Princess, this has gone far enough." Dante said sternly, "As the only daughter of Papa and Mama, I'm surprised at your behaviour. Sword is in shambles with the way you've snuck off to fool about with Debito. Have you no sense of duty?"

Debito saw Felicita wilt under Dante's lecture and tensed furiously. How dare the man ruin his Bambina's good mood? Debito rose, abandoning the cards to the dishearted young woman, and stepped out from behind the reception desk stiffly. "Debito?" Dante saw the defensive posture the Coin took and mirrored it. "Can I help you?"

"No," Debito said sharply, "I want you to leave my casino, Dante." His hand strayed to one shining pistol and tapped an indignant rhythm into the grip. "I don't appreciate the way you speak to my Bambina. No gentleman speaks so crudely to a woman, especially not in front of me." He watched Dante produce a letter from his pocket, suspicious of it until he spotted Mondo's seal on the envelope. "What is **that**?"

**A/N: Ho shit! What's in that envelope?! What will happen to Felicita and Debito's fluffy cliche common-law romance?! God only knows ;D and by God I mean me. /shot***


	6. Numero 5, Il Papa

**A/N: I would just like to thank everyone for bearing with such a worthless, slow-updating author like myself. I feel so pathetic for not being able to update regularly like some of my favourite authors do, but I have to be in the right mood to right the stories I have going. I've really gotten into this fandom again lately, so I have a feeling I will get farther in this before September 3rd comes around and school starts.  
**

**Please, feel free to abandon me and my slow updates, I deserve it. I'm so sorry if this wasn't up to your par, readers, and please tell me if it isn't. Until then, or I update again. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Six**

"A letter." Dante said shortly, thrusting it into Dante's chest and scowling at the man. "Mondo was made aware of where the princess has been hiding, and he has addressed this to you, Debito." The tall, bald man didn't flinch as Debito's face darkened slightly, emotion flickering across the gold of his visible eye, and he glanced at the letter in his hand obviously.

'_Read it._' his eyes said, and Debito tore open the letter furiously. He waved away the few Coins men that approached warily, his face blazing with unreleased displeasure, and he snapped at one of them to get back to work. It was unlike Debito to be so harsh.

"'Debito,'" He read aloud, clutching the paper with both hands and looking more and more agitated. "'if what Luca tells me is true, I hope that -for your sake- Felicita is unharmed'" -He glanced up at her, his eyes burning.- "' and that she returns with Dante and Luca when they come to collect her.'" Debito could feel himself shaking and forced down the urge to rail against this letter and Papa's commands. As he read farther on, he bit his lip hand, snarling at Luca, and jumped when Felicita touched his hand.

"Debito?" She murmured, angling her head so that she could meet his golden left eye. He couldn't respond, drowning himself in her emerald eyes for what might be the last in a long time, and he let her take the letter from him numbly. She looked down at it, breaking the spell, and Debito watched a bit of hair fall from its place to hide her expression.

"Papa wants me home now..." She said after a long time, "and you're not allowed at the house anymore..." She kept reading, her little body going tense, and she stared up at him helplessly. "I'm not allowed to leave the house; my patrol duties will be handled by the rest of my division."

With Felicita staring at him so helplessly, Debito felt his heart pound. She didn't know what to do -they might never see each other again except in passing- and she looked to him for the answer. Debito sighed, tucking her loose hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry to get you into so much trouble, Bambina." He managed to smile for her, patting her cheek, and he pulled back to toss his house keys over to Dante. Purposely to Dante. " If you could, Dante, Bambina has a few things she'll want to take to take."

"But Debito-" Felicita tried to protest, having fought too hard for her freedom during the _Arcana Duello_ to lose it now over all this. She met his eyes and scowled at the easy smile he presented her with. He looked so sad -the cool smile didn't touch his eyes the way she knew it should have- and his usually-confident gaze begged her silently.

'Don't. Just go.'  
'This hurts. Just go.'

And she pulled back, mirroring Debito as he turned away and quickly following Dante out of the casino. However, Luca and Debito remained behind the desk, the cards scattered there, and they stared at one another wordlessly until both people were out of earshot.

"This is all you, isn't it?" Debito accused Luca, grinding his teeth together angrily, and shoved a finger in the black-haired servant's face. "What did you tell Mama and Papa?"

"The truth." Luca smiled and tilted his head to one side, clasping his hands behind his back demurely. "I told him what he would need to protect Felicita."

"My ass." Debito rumbled, waving away a Coin who'd looked over anxiously. "What did you say to him, Luca?"

"That Papa's precious daughter was sharing a bed with you every night without suitable clothing." Luca said harshly, "That you two were flaunting your situation openly all over the island. With no regards for Felicita or the family's honor." Luca's expression darkened until it shocked the Coins leader and made his eye widen. The face Luca made was so suspicious- so unsettling- so... Jolly that Debito wondered how much _la_ _Luna _had taught him. "Not that you care much for the honor of women, _Eremita_, they way you jump from woman to woman."

Debito recoiled from Luca's harsh tone as if the older man had slapped him across the face, his rage building at the insinuation, and he struck back at his childhood friend blindly. Years of good times and casual teasing fell away as the dark-haired man standing with him now felt alien -like a stranger- and threatening. Luca fell, shocked by the blow to his cheek, and Debito snatched the fallen hat from the floor to inspect it -distract himself with it- while he spoke.

"Luca, we've been friends a long time," Debito murmured, well aware of the circle of horrified Coins and customers as it grew around them. "But I have never struck you until now. And you" -Debito's eye shot down from the brim of the hat and he glared heatedly enough to make Luca flinch.- "have never spoken like that to me before, ever."

"I never had a reas-" "Therefore, I won't shoot you in the knees like I wanted too a few minutes ago," Debito said levelly, twirling the hat lazily on his finger. "but I will say this: _Temperanza_, never come back here. I don't ever want to see your face in any Coins establishment without an order from Papa to be there."

Luca glared back at him from the floor, growling as the gunman toyed with his hat. "And if I do?"

"Then I'll shoot you until I run out of bullets." Debito hissed, "You've insulted me once and once is enough. Our friendship means nothing now if you think that I would 'A', stoop to that level, and 'B', succeed in coercing her into something like that. It's disgusting how poorly you think of Bambina, Temperanza," Tossing the hat to Luca like a frisbee, Debito said no more about the disgrace to his own name and snarled, "now get out."

Much to the one-eyed gunman's satisfaction, the dark-haired servant fled with it hurriedly.

Debito knew he should feel a little bad for using such a blatant threat on a once-good friend, especially in public, but he was too angry to care for Luca's reputation or his.

How could Luca accuse them like that?

Did he think so low of him that he would approach Felicita when she was so obviously hurt?

Did he think Felicita was some common floozy, throwing herself into someone's arms at every turn?

Debito had been sure that Felicita was the perfect woman ever since they had met, only growing more and more certain as she fought for herself in the _Arcana Duello_. Her face had bought him, but her strength had paid for and shipped him head over the hells of his expensive black loafers. She was everything typical island women weren't: stubborn, independent, so innocent, and so very determined to help people.

She'd worked so hard to help a little kitten find its owner again, and she had praised him so innocently at the Piccolino for being so nice to the children there. She treasured so many little things -card games, tomatoes, toast- that he took for granted as tasks that it was refreshing to wake up with her every day. She was always grateful for what was done, and he had underestimated how eager she was to learn things and repay favours more than once. She had tried to cook once, claiming she felt bad relying on him for so much, and it had been so endearing that he hadn't been able to resist cuddling her sooty little frame to his chest.

And she'd been so small -so fragile- in his arms. She hadn't pulled away, or cried out; she returned the gesture, her embarrassed face hiding in his chest, and eventually they'd laughed it off together and gotten lunch.

Now, Debito didn't feel much like laughing. His mouth tasted like it was full of ashes and he hurried into his office -which he usually avoided- to prevent interaction with his men or the customers. Right now, he wanted to be anything but civil, but he would be damned if he accidentally snapped at someone on the job.

No need to give Luca any more fuel for the fire.


End file.
